WWF Fully Loaded 2000 Review

By Dirty Dawg Darsie

Sunday, July 23^rd, 2000 – Reunion Arena – Dallas, Texas – A few months after WrestleMania 2000, we see the Rock defend the WWE Championship against a guy who won the WCW Championship in his last night in World Championship Wrestling (and never lost, by the way), along with two other main events for the evening, Kurt Angle and the Undertaker, and a Last Man Standing match with Chris Jericho and Triple H.  The Rock won the WWE title at the King of the Ring a month prior when he won it in a six-man tag team match against Triple H (former champion), Shane, and Vince McMahon.  The Rock’s tag partners were the Undertaker and Kane.

Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross are our English announcers!  Yes!  My favorite announce team!  I can’t wait to hear them call the next three hours of my life!

Six Person Intergender Tag Team Match: T&A and Trish Stratus versus the Hardy Boyz and Lita

One of few pay-per-views that we see T&A!  No, not Total Non-stop Action Wrestling Impact TNA, Test and Albert!  After T&A came out, we see a video of the build-up on how this match came to be.  The build-up was around Trish and Lita, so why not have those two have a women’s match?  Only guess I have is Trish wasn’t a women’s wrestler by this PPV.  At least we can see her now.

When the Hardyz and Lita came out, they got huge pops!  I wish those two men never got themselves in trouble with drugs and the law.  I wish Lita never did what she did with Edge, but at least that thing helped get Edge into the main event scene.  Talking about drugs, I wish Test never did drugs either.  He was a whole lot better when he was in WWE’s ECW brand before his sad passing.

One thing I fell in love with was Trish was tagged in and Matt Hardy rolled her up in a school boy and almost scored the victory, but he pinned her right by her corner, which gave T&A a chance to stop the count.  Lita was tagged in then Trish ran off like a little “coward” and both ladies tagged in their respected male partners.

Another thing that I often wonder about whenever I watch a Hardy Boys match is: why do Matt and Jeff always take their shirts off?  If they are gonna take their shirts off, why put them off for the match?  I understand the cheers when they take them off by the ladies but why a easy pop like that?  Can’t they get over by another way?

Test is very much underrated.  How?  He bumped greatly when Lita jumped off the top rope and gave him a Hurricranna.  Test gave her a Powerbomb and let Trish tag in and gave her the early version of the Stratusfaction Bulldog but only got a two-count!

The ladies fought some for a few more minutes, the men got involved, and Lita scored the victory with a moonsault.  Before the Hardy brothers and Lita had a chance to celebrate, Test, Albert, and Trish did a number on all three, continuing this feud.  The thing I didn’t want to see (or hear) was when Trish was whipping Lita with a leather belt.

Winners: Hardy brothers and girlfriend

Mick Foley, WWF Commissioner, was talking to some random person backstage and Edge came up and told him that Christian is sick and has food poisoning and Mick said he doesn’t believe him.  Mick said that he’ll send a doctor to see if his story is correct.

The Undertaker arrived on his bike and asked for Kurt Angle.  He spotted him and chased him down with his bike.  Thankful for our American Hero, Kurt found a kitchen and jumped a half-way, saving his body from the Dead Man.

Tazz versus Al Snow

Jim Ross told us that since Tazz came back from something (‘something’ wasn’t explained the greatest, or I didn’t catch it. Either way…) and had been attacking random superstars, taking his rage out on them.

After the match started, JR told us that Tazz is dangerous and was out due to a bicep injury.  I’m happy at least the reason came out on why Tazz was off television for a while (especially after being brought up and this match is only happening because Tazz was kicking booty and taking names).

The crowd wasn’t that into the match, which is hard for me to get into the match as well.  Bryan Alvarez from the Wrestling Observer website said on one of his podcast in the past month or so (as of me writing this) that one thing he takes into consideration in match quality is the crowd interaction.  If he was writing his newsletter back in 2000, I would look to see what he rated this match.  Sadly enough, he wasn’t writing his “Figure Four Weekly” newsletters back in 2000.

One thing I always enjoy about Tazz is the many number of suplexes he pulled out of his move-set.  That man is small is height but made up for it in suplexes and kicking butt.  Even now I wouldn’t want to encounter him in a dark alley.

Tazz locked in the Tazzmission and scored the victory.

Winner: Tazz

We go backstage “hearing” Christian puking in the toilet and Foley and a doctor came and checked him out.  The doc said that he doesn’t think Christian should compete.

Then we go backstage with Triple H and Stephanie cuddling on the couch.  Harvey Wippleman showed up with flowers.  Triple H questions Stephanie on where did she get these flowers.  Triple H thought it was from Chris Jericho.  Guess what?  It wasn’t from him but from Kurt Angle!

WWF European Championship match: Eddie Guerrero (champion) with Chyna versus Perry Saturn with Terri

Right before the bell, Chyna ran out and took out Saturn and chased down Terri.  Like a normal heel woman, Terri ran away from Chyna and high-tailed it.  In ways, I don’t blame her.  I would run away from Chyna if she came and chased me, even nowadays.

I agree with Jerry Lawler when he said that he thought the Radicalz were unstoppable.  I think it was stupid on breaking them up.  In my WWF Survivor Series 2000 review for Camel Clutch Blow (dot) com, I mentioned there that if booked right, the Radicalz could have been McMahon’s Four Horsemen (even the Horsemen of the 2000’s).

Random ponder: why is Latino Heat wrestling in a shirt?  Only reason I can think of is he wasn’t in as good of ring-shape as he would like.  Or could be a new shirt WWE put out of his and he’s trying to advertise.  I’m going with the first.

This match is a good match that got the crowd back into cheering and booing.  A good mixture of high paced action when Eddie was in control and slow paced when Saturn was in control of the match.

With Saturn taking out Chyna, Terri coming out and low blowing Guerrero, Saturn was able to pick up the victory on his former tag partner.

Winner: Perry Saturn, the new European Champion

We go backstage with Edge and Christian packing up and they saying they swerving Foley but Foley walked in and seen that he was faking his sickness and told them that they will defend their Tag Team championships later.

Michael Cole is backstage interviewing the Undertaker.  The Dead Man said that Kurt Angle will need a doctor to remove the Dead Man’s foot from his rear end.  We see Kurt trying to start Taker’s bike and Undertaker chased him off.

WWF Tag Team Championship match: Edge and Christian (champions) versus the APA

Edge grabbed a mic when they came out and ran down Dallas.  Right before Edge was able to announce that he and his brother were going to give us a five second pose, the APA came out because they were all out of beer.

I don’t know what’s worse for Christian…getting his butt grabbed by Bradshaw or being hit by a second-rope fallaway slam by Bradshaw.  Either way, both would hurt, a lot!

When Edge and Christian were in control of the match, the crowd was chanting “USA! USA!”  Great way for guys who aren’t from the country to make shots at us, to get cheap heel heat.  I’m happy that not many heels take jabs at towns they’re wrestling in anymore because this does get old though, rather fast.

Edge got himself disqualified when Ron Simmons had Christian beat and hit him with one of the tag title belts.

Winners: APA by disqualification

We go to the WWE’s old restaurant, the WWF New York, seeing the Big Boss Man questioning fans if they’re old enough to drink beer and he’ll kick them out.

We go back live to Dallas and see Triple H and Stephanie back in their locker room with Triple H pissed off, saying that he has enough on his plate with Chris Jericho and their match and now has to deal with Kurt Angle sending his wife flowers.  Steph told her husband that if has a problem with Angle sending her flowers, he should go ask her why he’s sending his wife flowers.

Next thing we see was Angle still running from the Undertaker and Taker got tired of chasing Angle and Angle sneak attacked him with a huge wrench on the knee he attacked on Thursday’s Smackdown.  Great job Kurt for working on the Undertaker’s bad wheel.

Steel Cage match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship: Rikishi versus Val Venis (champion) with Trish Stratus

Val Venis became the Intercontinental Champion two weeks before this pay-per-view when Tazz attacked Rikishi when he was defending the title on Smackdown.  Also, Val Venis is a lucky man for having Trish as his manager.  I want to become a wrestler now just for Trish Straus could be my manager.

Val tried to climb out of the cage right away and Rikishi grabbed him and started to do a number on the champion.  Come on champ, that’s a dumb move, no matter if you can out run your challenger in a cage match!

One thing I enjoy about this match is both men go back and forth with one another and when they are in control; they would throw his opponent into the side of the cage, gaining the upper hand.

Rikishi hit the Banzai drop and only got a two-count because Val put his leg on the bottom rope to break the count.  When Rikishi was going to escape out the door, Trish hit the door onto his head, giving Val a upper hand in the match.

Later in the match, Lita came out and attacked Trish for what she did to her in their match, chasing Trish with a leather belt backstage, leaving the Intercontinental title match one-on-one, as billed.

Rikishi climbed to the top of the cage and looked down onto Venis, walked a little over, about half way across the cage, and splashed Venis from top of the cage!  A huge pop from the fans a huge pop from the announcers!

Right when Rikishi was about to walk out of the cage to win back the Intercontinental title, Tazz came back out and hit Rikishi in the face with the cage door.  Venis crawled over and scored the pin fall and victory over the big man, retaining the title.

Winner: Val Venis, retaining the Intercontinental Championship

We see a clip of what Angle did to the Undertaker and we see him limping around backstage.

Triple H is storming around backstage, trying to find Kurt Angle.  Harvey showed Triple H where Angle’s locker room was and the Game entered and a few second later, Jericho came out after giving Triple H kicked the poop out of Triple H.

Shane McMahon’s theme hits and he came out to the ring and asked for a mic.  Shane-O-Mac said that he’s out to the ring already because he wanted to prove to the fans that he isn’t a pussy.  To prove it, he came out to call out the People’s Champ, to go one-on-one with him.  Another minute later of smack talking the Rock and told the Rock to “just bring it.”

The Rock came out and Shane ran out of the ring.  Rock grabbed the mic that Shane had and said that the fans aren’t wrong and indeed Shane’s a pussy.  Rock said that he’s being set up and asked where Benoit is, knowing that Benoit is somewhere and is about to attack him from behind.  Rock said he doesn’t care and will face Benoit early.

Benoit came on the big screen and said that he’ll make the Rock tap out but because the Rock is out in the ring, he’ll rip apart the Rock’s “GQ” clothes and pour gas upon it.

Then we get a video package building up the Kurt Angle-Undertaker match up.  It all started when Angle cost the Undertaker a tag team title match, then went to when Angle trashed the Dead Man’s bike.  That’s one thing you don’t want to do, that’s piss off a biker.  You don’t know what they’ll do to you.

Kurt Angle versus the Undertaker

JR said that Angle has to pay the piper now when he came out to the ring.  I didn’t know the Undertaker was the “Hot Rod.”  Before Angle even got to the ring, the Undertaker drove his bike out while Angle’s theme was playing.

Right away they brawled into the fans; which made the fans’ night and the price of the ticket worthwhile.

The Undertaker had the three but pulled Angle up and hit the stalling suplex and pulled Angle up again at a count of two.  Come on Undertaker, you had Angle beat twice!  Does this match have to be a squash match?
Angle was able to get the upper hand on the Undertaker and put on the sleeper on the Undertaker.  The Taker outsmarted our Olympic Hero and rammed his back into corner and gain control of the match.  I still don’t know why the Undertaker didn’t finish the match when he had the chance.

After a while, it was nice to see the match go back-and-forth and see Kurt having a step-over-toe-hold on the long legs of the Undertaker.  When the Dead man broke out of the leg submission, the crowd popped.  I don’t blame them for seeing their favorite break out of the submission.

A one-arm chokeslam and the fans jumped to their feet.  The Undertaker signed to the fans that the Last Ride is about to come for Angle.  After Angle went on his last ride, the Dead Man scored the fall and Kid Rock’s “American Bad**” plays throughout the arena.

Winner: The Undertaker

We see a video of the Rock seeing the carnage that Benoit did to his shirts and ran off, all pissed off.

Last Man Standing match: Triple H with Stephanie McMahon (WWF Women’s Champion) versus Chris Jericho

Before I go further, if you want to see this match, I find this match (the full length) on YouTube.  Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHlp1ZIMkuo

This match is a match that I hear a lot about putting Chris Jericho over as a main eventer.  I find it odd because Triple H was put over as a main eventer, in my eyes, a half a year earlier by Cactus Jack at the WWF Royal Rumble 2000 when Triple H defeated him in a Street Fight.  So, in turn, Mick Foley’s putting over Chris Jericho as WWF Commissioner.

Right from the start Jericho has control of Triple H, being quicker of the two, taking him from in-ring brawling, to the outside, back in.  But no surprise, Triple H got the upper hand within minutes of the match, making the match go back-and-forth between the two.

The video package for this match, we see how Jericho injured his ribs.  After a few minutes of having control of the match, Triple H started to go after the hurt ribs and take off the injury wrap that Jericho had on, wrapped around his ribs.

One move I know would hurt, no matter how much they script it is when Hunter hit a suplex on Y2J on the carpeted concrete ramp-way.  Why would two men put themselves through that, no matter what?  For our enjoyment and entertainment, I know, and I’m thankful for taking years off their bodies for us fans.

After a major beating, Jericho beat the ref’s count at nine.  Jim Ross was pleading with Y2J to stay down and fight another day.  Thanks to JR and the King on helping Triple H putting over Jericho as a main eventer in our eyes and in the eyes of the father-in-law.

Triple H hit a huge Pedigree and pointed at Jericho, telling him to stay down.  The Game lay down on the top rope in the corner when the ref started to count Y2J out.  Jericho got up at a nine count and once up on his feet, Triple H nailed him in the stomach and on the back with a steel chair.  Hunter dropped the chair in the middle of the ring and called for the Pedigree on the chair and the ref got in the way.  The Game pushed him out of the way and Y2J hit a low blow, which got the Game away from him.  Y2J grabbed the chair and hit a home run onto Triple H’s face, busting wide open the Game.  Yes!  We got blood!

A few moments later we see a bulldog onto the chair from Jericho to Hunter and we got a five count.  When the ref got to five, Jericho broke the count to do more damage to the Game.  I guess Y2J’s showing the Game a thing or two on how to be played.

Triple H tried to hit a Pedigree on the ring steps outside but Jericho countered and back dropped him onto the mats.  With that, we hear Stephanie yell to Hunter, trying to encourage him.  Sorry Steph, you only hurt our ears when you yell.  Please stop.  Thank you.

Both men beat the double count after hitting each other with the monitors from the Spanish Announcers Table.  When both men rolled in the ring, Jericho hit Hunter in the Walls of Jericho and the Game taps and taps and screams and got to the ropes, but the hold wasn’t broken because there are no rules, Y2J doesn’t have to break.  So Jericho brought Hunter back to middle of the ring and Mrs. Game ran in to break the hold.  Y2J slapped on the Walls on her and the crowd went wild!  So did JR and the King!  Poor Stephanie.  Triple H saves his wife, and all rights, he should.

Triple H grabbed the sledgehammer and tried to hit Y2J and Jericho ducked.  Moments later, Jericho grabbed the hammer and hit him in the stomach with it.

Moments later, Triple H back dropped Jericho through the English Announcer’s Table and the ref started to count both men out.  Will we see both men get counted out?  Come on, someone please move!

Triple H starts to move at eight and up a split moment before the ten and went right back down, winning the match for him, yet putting over the beating both men put each other through.

To be honest, this match was a lot better than the first viewing of the pay-per-view I had a year ago.  I see why people have great feelings for this match.  Thank you Triple H for helping put Chris Jericho over in this match, yet winning at the end.  Who says you won’t put more people over in this decade?  In the decade of 2000 to 2009, this is one of the top matches of the decade for me.  The other two are: Triple H and Cactus Jack from the Rumble 2000 for the WWE Title in a Street Fight and Angle and Shane McMahon in a Street Fight at King of the Ring in 2001.

WWF Championship match:  Chris Benoit with Shane McMahon versus the Rock (champion)

We are told that if the Rock gets himself disqualified, he’ll lose the WWF Championship to Chris Benoit.  Will we see Benoit win the WWF title at Fully Loaded 2000?

Just like the previous match, I found a full length match for this match on YouTube, and you can see it right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMD2cryDvls&feature=related

Lucky for the Rock, he had his trunks on when Benoit went through his locker room because his tights were fine.  Also, the Rock had the WWF title with him, which he didn’t have when he came out earlier when Shane called him out.  If I were Benoit, I would have grabbed the WWF title if Rock didn’t have it with him when Shane called him out.

Shane snuck into the ring to attack the Rock but he seen it, which gave Benoit an opening to jump him from behind.  They went outside and Shane tried to attack and Rock chased him around the ring.  Such a cluster at the beginning of the match but following the last man standing match, I don’t blame the Rock and Benoit starting the match as a fast-paced cluster, capturing the fans attention and bringing them into their match.

For the first few minutes of the match, it was fast-paced.  I hope these men start to slow it down for they won’t burn themselves out and burn the fans out from the match prior and their match.

Shane-O-Mac distracted the ref when Benoit grabbed the WWF belt and nailed the Great One’s face with it and only got a two-count.  A snap suplex and another pin attempt and a two count.  Sorry Benoit, it will take more to put out the Rock.

Like the match prior, Benoit and Rock go back and forth, which brings a smile to my face.

In a normal match, Rock would have got himself a disqualification when he and Benoit were outside and picked up Benoit in a atomic drop and low blowed him with the post.

Both men rolled in and Shane distracted the ref again when Rock had Benoit in a figure four leg lock.  Thankfully for Benoit for training at the Hart dungeon, he was able to get to the ropes to get out of the hold.  Beside the point, he ran with Ric Flair in WCW in the Four Horsemen, so he had the double the smarts to break out of the submission.

A spinebuster by the People’s Champ and the crowd went bananas!  The People’s Elbow and a pin attempted by the WWF Champion and Shane was distracting the ref, which we saw a clear victory by the Rock.  When the ref came back, Rock only got a two count.  Still face paced match by this point of the match.

Moments later Benoit hit a superplex off the top rope to the Rock, which lead to both men being counted out.  If both men do get counted out, the Rock would have the advantage because it would end a draw and the champ always walks out retaining the title if a draw.

Shane sent a chair into the ring and when the ref went to push Benoit and the chair out; Shane brought in another chair and hit the ref.  Rock chased Shane out and put Benoit in the Crippler Crossface and was tapping out.  The ref called for the bell and gave the match to Benoit, via disqualification, thinking that the Rock hit him with the chair, meaning Chris Benoit won the WWF Championship!  A Dallas Screw Job!  No way!

Half way down the ramp, Commissioner Foley came out to the ring, looking pissed off with what went down.  He walked over to the ring announcer and grabbed a mic, saying that the title will change hands on a disqualification and he and the fans in Dallas didn’t see a disqualification, and there wasn’t one, meaning that he’ll restart the match because we seen a screw job!  Thanks Mick!  You’re an awesome Commissioner!  Vince McMahon should bring you back!

When Benoit came back, he hit Rock with three German suplexes and on the third, he bridged it for a pin and only got a near fall.  Facial expressions on Benoit’s face, we can easily see that he’s frustrated with Foley’s call.

Benoit got the Crossface on the Rock in the center of the ring.  Rock got to the bottom rope, which pissed Shane off.  Can’t blame Shane for being upset with the call.

Rock jumped up, hit the Rock Bottom, got the victory, and the crowd to jump onto their feet, to retain the title.  Good job, Rock, through the screw job attempt.  Thank you, Foley, for the right call.

Winner: the Rock, retaining the WWF title

One of the better pay-per-views that the WWE has put on.  After watching Fully Loaded 2000, I can easily see why the WWF was red hot and why they won the Monday Night Wars and put WCW out of business.  I highly suggest watching the last two main events that I linked up with this review.  I would highly suggest you going out and buying this off of EBay, Amazon, or finding a full length of this event on YouTube, because this has to be one of the better pay-per-views that I’ve seen that the WWF put on.

As a whole, I have to give this pay-per-view a **** and ¼*.  I was entertained for the most part during the event.  The parts I was bored, I’m sure you can easily notice with the review I gave each match.  The last two matches really pulled up the show all together, even though the fans were out of in the first few matches and the squash match between Angle and the Undertaker.